From Maradona to Messi: Bangladesh's enduring love for Argentina

There are rooftops draped in light blue and white and murals of Lionel Messi everywhere – but this is not Argentina, it is Bangladesh where football-crazy fans are again celebrating their unique bond with the South American giants.

The craze for Argentina has endured for decades in a country of 170 million people who have never qualified for the World Cup, but embrace the global showpiece with unmatched passion. 

The connection is once again on display ahead of Sunday's final in New Jersey, where the defending champions will face Spain.

While fans in Buenos Aires prepare for what they hope will be another night of celebration, the mood more than 10,000 miles away in Dhaka is also reaching fever pitch.

"I was tense during the Argentina-Egypt match. I was sweating and almost cried," motor mechanic Nurul Islam told AFP.  "But now I can confidently say that Argentina will win."

Football fans in Bangladesh have traditionally split their loyalties between Argentina and Brazil, South America's football powerhouses.

But once Brazil were eliminated in the last 16 by Norway, many of their fans also threw their weight behind Argentina.

By some accounts, Bangladesh is home to the largest number of fans of the Albiceleste outside Argentina.

For many the love affair began with Diego Maradona's performances at the 1986 World Cup.

Shirt sales boom

Nurul Islam said his love for Argentina was inherited from his father, who supported Maradona. 

That passion has now passed to a third generation.

"My two children are also Argentina fans. They are quite serious about it and insisted on getting new shirts," he said.

The enthusiasm among is translating into booming replica shirt sales.

Shamim Patwary, chief adviser of the Bangladesh Sports Accessories Merchant Manufacturers and Importers Association, said demand had surged.

"There isn't any study on how many Argentina fans there are, but we have sold a huge number of shirts," Patwary told AFP.

Bangladesh, one of the world's largest garment exporters, manufactures football shirts for fans around the globe. 

At Galaxy Sports, one of Bangladesh's largest sportswear retailers, Argentina shirts account for roughly 30 percent of total sales.

"Some parents have even bought Argentina shirts for newborns," said Raihan Hossian. "We have sold almost all the Argentina shirts we stocked, especially the player editions."

For many supporters, price is secondary to passion.

"Emotion is involved," Hossian said. "The other day, an autorickshaw driver came to our shop and bought a player-edition Argentina shirt worth US$10. I don't know whether he even earns that much in a day."

Emotional pull

In Dhaka's lower-income neighbourhoods, pavement vendors have swapped their usual merchandise for football shirts, selling affordable versions to fans.

"I watched Maradona play and have remained a loyal Argentina supporter ever since," vendor Al Mamun, 55, said while selling the cheaper shirts.

Bangladesh sit 183rd in the FIFA rankings, yet football fever sweeps across the country every four years.

The tournament's emotional pull can be intense. 

Local media have reported at least 12 deaths linked to football-related incidents during this World Cup, although AFP was unable to verify the figure.

With the World Cup taking place in the United States, Canada and Mexico, many matches have kicked off late at night in Bangladesh, but that has not deterred fans.

Zakia Musanna said she has been staying up through the night to watch Argentina play while wearing the blue-and-white.

"I put on the shirt because it gives us the feeling that we belong to the team, a sense of oneness," said the 37-year-old.

Musanna recalls watching Argentina's 2022 World Cup triumph alongside her father, and plans to return to the same venue for Sunday's final.

"We are planning to go to the same venue, reminisce about the previous victory and celebrate another win."